Lost and Found in Cedar Cove Read Free Page A

with her.
    “Mr. Wilcox asked if I’d be willing to meet with you and—”
    He stopped her. “Okay, I get it. I’m not good with numbers.”
    “Which is the reason Mr. Wilcox asked me to tutor you. He wants to see you graduate and asked if I’d be willing to work with you.”
    “I don’t need your help.”
    “Mr. Wilcox says you’re failing.”
    “Like I said, I’m no good with numbers.”
    “And like I said, that’s the reason I’m here.”
    Travis snorted. “Why did Wilcox ask you?”
    “Because I love math.”
    “Why’d you agree?”
    That was the same question Amanda had been asking herself from the moment she’d walked in the door. “Would you rather someone else tutor you?” That was fine by her.
    “Wilcox would probably just send some other brainy geek, so do what you want.”
    If he wanted to dish out insults, she had a few of her own. “A brainy geek is ten times better than an empty-headed jock who isn’t smart enough to get into a lifeboat when a ship is ready to sink.”
    “Very funny.”
    Amanda stood and held up her hand. She didn’t need this, no matter how popular Travis was. All she’d been looking to do was offer a helping hand. If graduating from high school and playing college football wasn’t incentive enough, then nothing she said or did was going to change his mind.
    “Children, children.” Connor Leesburg came toward them with his hands on his hips and shaking his head. “There’s no need to trade insults, is there?”
    Staring at Travis, Amanda defensively crossed her arms.
    Travis held her look with the same dark intensity.
    “Lighten up, Travis,” Connor said. “Otherwise, you’ll end up like me, working in a coffeehouse for a pittance while you’re saving up enough cash for a few college classes or trade school.”
    “So?”
    “So you’ve got the talent to make it playing college football. If nothing else, think of all the chicks who’ll want to be with you.”
    Amanda snickered.
    “As for you,” Connor said, turning his attention to her, “chuck the attitude.”
    “He started it.” She wasn’t sure what she’d expected from Travis, but it wasn’t this.
    “Let the guy have some pride,” Connor interjected. “It isn’t easy admitting he needs help. I heard you’re going to be named valedictorian, right?”
    She nodded.
    “Congratulations, but loosen up a bit, will you?”
    “What is that supposed to mean?” she demanded.
    “It means exactly what I said. Travis doesn’t want anyone to know he needs a math tutor. It’s bad for his image. Why do you think he asked to meet you here rather than at school or the library?”
    As much as Amanda didn’t want to admit it, what Connor said made sense.
    “Travis has athletic ability in spades. If you were on the football field and he was on the line protecting you, trust me, you’d feel differently. And if he had to teach you to throw a perfect spiral, think how you’d be feeling! It’s nice of you to help him, but let go of the attitude.”
    “Do I have an attitude?” She directed the question to Travis.
    He shrugged. “A little.”
    She wasn’t the cheerleader type, nor had she been a member of the drill team. But no one could attend Cedar Cove High School and not know who Travis Kilroy was, and to be fair, she wasn’t immune. Travis was popular and easy on the eyes. It went without saying that she’d never have a chance with him, and frankly, she wasn’t sure she’d want one. No use fretting about it; Travis saw her as a geek. From the moment she walked into Java Joint, he’d made it plain that he viewed her as nothing more than a brain.
    “This is much better,” Connor said as he rubbed his palms together. “How about a latte on the house?”
    “Sure,” Travis agreed.
    “Sure,” Amanda echoed.
    “Coming right up.”
    Before Connor even got back behind the counter, a tall, lanky man in a wet coat and jeans walked into Java Joint. “You kids happen to see a dog recently?” he